Land of Chocolate?

This morning, I stumbled up this link in my work email: Free Chocolates, Hotel Rooms, and... Movie Kiss Reenactments. Free chocolate? Across the street from the office, say no more.

So at 11:45am, four guys from the office and I take the elevator down and hop on over to Jacques Torres. It's relatively quiet when we arrive but over the span of 30 minutes, it develops into full chaos. People are milling around wondering when they're going to get their free chocolate. Store employees appease the masses with samples of hot chocolate, which, quite honestly, is by far the tastiest I've ever had, but this is obviously a calculated ploy to get people into a chocolate store the day before Valentine's Day in the hopes that they will make a last minute purchase.

Still, we stand firm and keep waiting for the promised freebies and finally, they arrive. Sadly, our grand expectations (Think Homer Simpson frolicking inside the Land of Chocolate) are quickly crushed. What do we get for waiting inside a crowded chocolate store for over half an hour? A coupon good for a free hotel room in Atlantic City (that's not good on Friday or Saturday nights, AKA "useless") and ONE piece of leftover Christmas chocolate!

I guess I should've learned by now that most things that sound too good to be true usually are. Especially in New York City.

Then again, I've never been to AC and have always wanted to see what it's like. Maybe it's time to take a personal day on a Friday or Monday and see what all the hype (or lack thereof) is all about.